Railway-rail brace



^ March 27, 192s. 1,663,811

J. G. MUELLER RAILWAY RAILBRACE original Filed May1o.l1926 2 sneetssheet 1 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 J. G. MUELLER RAILWAY RAIL BRACE Original Filed May 10- 1925 March 27, 1928.

Patented Mar. 27, 1928.

'JOHN G. MUELIiER, 0F DAYTON, OHVIO.

RAILWAY-RAIL BRACE.

Appncation inea May 1o, 192e,` serial n. 107,924.y Renewed august 22.1927.

This invention relates braces.

In'pract-ice ithas been found that at curves on tracks .where locomotives of diiferent makes, which vary in weight, traction ,and wheel formation, must run .on the sametrack thatvit is necessary to constantly repairthe track inan `effort to Yavoid accidents and even then the liability of accident is considerable. It is the object of the present invention to provide a rail brace which will eifectual'ly brace .rails at curves on tracks under these ltoy railways rail conditions and thereby Aprevent the rails y fromspreadingand tilting and avoid accidents.' 'i

A lfurther object* ofthe inventionk is to pro'- vrvide such a 'brace which may 'be easily land quickly applied to the rails; which will 'be 'strong' anddurable'; which will be inexpen- A l sive; and whiclfmay be applied to all ,Standard makes of rails.

In the accompanying/drawings: p Fig. 1 is a plan view of myv improved brace .aS applied to a track at a curve.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail viewof one of the members of' the" brace applied to a rail. Fig. 3 is 4a sectional view of a 'standard track with my brace applied thereto.` Fig. 4 is an Venlarged sectional view of one 'of Athe brace members applied to a rail.

Eig. 5 is an end elevation of the base plate in position on atie."

'In Fig. 1 I have shown a curved section of track comprising ties or sleepersA 1 and rails 'and a tread, the latter being formed with i i the usual ball 4, being the part on the under surface which is engaged by my improved rail brace. 'The' rail brace comprises a base Vplate 5 'having ajbottom surface 6 adapted Vto rest on a sleeper and `vtwo .downwardly "projecting ears 7 on 'each side having openings 7a. Barrel-like members 8 join the ears on eachside, the openings in the ears registering with the openings in the members 8 and forming a continuous opening fromv the outer face ofrone ear lto the outerface of the other ear to receive' the rods 9 for the purpose hereinafter set forth. The upper "surface of the base plate has an upwardly projecting portion 10 reinforced by ribs 11 and hollowed out to form a recess or seat12. Co-acting with A"the baseplate is a brace member proper having a relatively flat top jsurface 13l and tapered sides 14. One end 2 and 3, each rail having a base with a web spikes.

prehendV within nay-invention lsuch modificaof this brace member is of a width adapted to be positioned in the recess 12 vand is rounded, as shown at'15,xto provide an adequate bearing surface no matter what the size ofthe rail is to whichV the brace is applied. n V 'The opposite end 16 of the brace member is shaped to conform to the contour of the ball of the rail and the upper portion of the web with which it engages. The `braceinember may be ycut away, as shown at 17 ,y for reducing the amount of metal in the casting.' r The tie rods 9 are threaded onl their ends and passed through .the openings 7 in base plates positioned on `opposite ends of la sleeper 'beyond the rails. Nuts 18 are applied tothe ends of the tiey rods and serve to'urge the base plates Atoward the rails so that the'brace members proper will be held .in firm engagementrwith the outer sides of the rails of the track,`thereby bracing the rails against the tendencyof the 'locomotives to spread them.;V f

' The usual spikes 1 are employed to secure .the rails to the'ties. In order to further 'brace the rails a clamping member 19 may be used to engage the/inner side of the rail atthe base. This clamping member is provided with an opening20 to receive the tie rod and the opening is of such size as to provide for adjustment of the clamp to different Weight rails. The clamp willbe posivtioned relativelypto and held in'irmengageyment with the base of ,the rail by nuts 21.

When 'the brace 'is in bracing position, the brace vmember proper vwill extend from "the base plate to the ball of the rail, the angle of inclination varying rwith different sizes of rails, but always sufficient to provide a brac-Y ing action to overcome the outward spreading of the rails by thel locomotives, especially at sharp curves, where the tendency to spread the `rails is very great, and ,thereby preventaccidents. The clamp 19 will further brace the rail by absorbing the shocks which Would otherwise be imposed on the.

It will thus be seen that I have provided arail brace which will efectually prevent i rthe spreading of rails at curves; Which will be inexpensive to manufacture; and which will be universal in that vit may be -applied to rails of `diiferent weight without change.

' .It will be understood that I desire toscoinlli between tions as may be necessary to'adapt it to varying conditions and uses.

Having thus fully described my' invention, what l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters atent, is z- 1. ln a. railway rail brace, the combination with threaded tie rods, or" base plates adapted to be mounted on said tie roos on the outside of the track rails, a brace member proper separate from said base plate and extendingbetween .each base plate and adjacent rail, andxadjustable means to position said brace members with respect to rails ot' 'di'ferent sizesV and to maintain them at an incline rigidly in engagement with said base plates and rails to prevent the latter from spreading.

2. ln a railway rail brace, the combination witlithreaded tie rods, ot a base plate adapted to be mounted on said tie rods adjacent a rail, a'brace member proper separate from said base plate and extending between said base `plate and rail, and adjustable means on saidtie rod tor urging said base plate and brace member toward the rail to brace the latter, whereby rail braces oil a given size may be adjusted to rails of varying sizes. y

3. ln a railway rail brace, the combination with tie rods, of base plates havingV openings to receive said rods and adapted to be positioned on the outside of the track rails, a brace member proper resting on each base l"plate and engagingwith the'track rails, and adjustable means orurging said plate and `the brace members toward the rails, to brace them, whereby the rail braces of a given size maybe adjusted to rails ot' varying sizes.

41j in a railway rail brace, the combination with threaded tie rods, of base plates each having openings to receive said tie rods and a recess, brace members proper each having one end adapted to rest in the recess in the ilate and its opposite end in engagement with a rail, Vand means for adjusting said base plates so that said brace members proper will be tightly wedged at an incline the base plates and the rails to brace the latter. Y l 5. in a railway rail brace, the combination with threaded tie rods, ot base platesiadaptedito vrest on a tie near the opposite ends thereofy and having downwardly extending portions with openings to receive said tie rods, bracemembers proper separate from the base plate and adapted to be adjusted to rails of diiferent sizes and to extend at an angle from said base plates to the outer sides of the rails of a track, and nuts onl said rods for urging said plates toward said rails to maintain the brace members in l'irm engagement with the plat-es an rails to brace the latter. v

, 6. ln, a railway rail brace, the combination with threaded tie rods, o'f abase plate adapted to be positioned on a tie beyond each ing track rail and having openings to receive said tie rods, a brace member-proper adapted to be inclined between said base plate and adjacent rail, said base plate having a recess to receive one end of said member, the other vend thereof engaging the ball of the rail,

and nuts on said tie rods for urging said basev plates and brace members toward said rails to prevent the latter 'from spreading.

' 7. ln a railway rail brace, the combina-- tion with threaded tie rods, of base plates adapted to be mounted on said tie rods on the outside of the track rails, clamping members carried by said tie rods vbetween the track rails, means orurging said clampsV into engagement with said rails to clamp them, a brace member proper extendingbetween each base plate and adjacent rail,`and adjustable means to position said brace members with respect to railsof dierent sizes and tomaintain them at an incline rigidly. inengagement with said base plates and rails to prevent the latter Jfrom spreadf ing. 1, 8. 1nv a railway rail brace,'the combination with threaded tie rods, of a base plate adapted to be mounted on said tie rods adjacent the outside of a track rail, clamping members carried by said rods adjacent the inside of a rail, means :lor urging said clamp'- ing members'against the baseot"` the rail, a brace member proper extending between said' Vbase plate and rail, and 'adjustable means on said tie rod for urging said base plate and brace member toward the rail, whereby a rail brace o a given size may be adjusted to rails of different sizes. e

9. In a railway rail brace, the combination with tie rods, of base plates having openings to receive said rods and adapted to be positioned on the outside of the track rails, clamping members carried by said tie'rods between theY track rails, adjustable means for 'urging said Yclamps Yinto engagement with said rails to clamp them, a brace mem? ber proper resting on each base plate and engaging the track rails, Vand adjustable means for urging said base plates andv the brace members toward the rails, tobrace them, whereby rail braces oit a given size` maybe adjusted to` clamp rails of varying sizes.

l0. ln a railway rail brace, the combina-` tion with threaded tie rods, of `base plates adapted to rest-on a, tie near the opposite ends thereot'and having downwardly eX- tending'portions with openings toreceive said tie rods, brace members proper adapted to be adjusted to rails of different sizes to extend at an'` anglet'rom said base plate-s to the outer sides of the rails ofa track, clampv members carried by said tie rods and adapted to be 'adjusted to rails of different track, and nuts on said rods for maintaining the adjusted brace members proper and sizes to clamp the inner baseVV portions of the the rails.

11. In a railway rail brace, the combination with threaded tie rods, of a base plate adapted to be positioned on a tie beyond each track rail and having openings to receive said tie rods, a. brace member proper adapted to be inclined between said' base plate and adjacent rail, said base plate having a recess to receive onevend of said member, the other end thereof engaging the ball of the rail, nuts on said tie -rods for urging said base plates and brace members toward the outer sides of *theV rails, and clamping members carried by said tie rods for clamping the basesv of the rails on the inside.

12. In a railway rail brace, a base plate i having a recess and a 'depending portion at either side with an opening therethroughto e receive tie rods, a brace member proper having one end adapted to be seated in said recess and its opposite end shapedto engage the ball of a rail.

In testimony whereof, I aix my signature.

JOHN er` MUELLER, 

